This patent relates to a medical tubing connection assembly. In particular, this patent relates to a medical tubing connection assembly including a pair of connectors that may be connected or disconnected with or without relative rotational motion between the connectors.
Medical tubing connectors play a significant role in the delivery of medical fluids to a patient. A medical tubing connection assembly typically includes a pair of components including female connector and a male connector with a tube-like inlet piece. The connectors may also include additional components such as interior valves and the like.
In applications where the tubing connectors are to be connected for a prolonged period of time or where an accidental disconnect is undesirable, a locking or securing mechanism is generally incorporated into the connector pair. Conventionally, a collar is disposed about the tube-like inlet piece (which may be a luer tip, according to certain embodiments) of the male connector, the collar having an internal thread formed on an inner surface of the collar. Additionally, an external thread is formed on a housing of the female connector. The male and female connectors are secured together by rotating the connectors relative to each other to threadingly engage the mating threads of the male and female connectors.
Under certain circumstances, it may be advantageous to provide a mechanism or machine to bring the connector pair together with a minimum of user intervention (a so-called “assist device” or “changer”). For example, the machine may have a holder to receive the female connector, and a holder to receive the male connector. The machine also includes a mechanism to bring the connectors together and then rotate the connectors relative to each other to secure the connectors together. Given the series of motions involved in such an operation, including translational motion (to bring the connectors together) and rotational motion (to bring the threads together), the operating mechanism of such a machine can be considerably complex. As a consequence, these machines tend to be expensive and relatively bulky (in terms of size and weight) because of the complicated mechanism required to perform these actions.
Preferably, the connectors would be brought together and secured through the use of a single motion, for example an axial motion. This would permit a simpler mechanism to be used, with an accompanying reduction in the expense, size, and weight of the machine. Thus, a modified tubing connector has been designed that lacks the threaded engagement present in other medical tubing connection assemblies. Because the threads are not present, the connectors do not need to be rotated when securing the connectors together. This permits a simplified action for bringing the connectors together, and consequently a machine of simplified design.
Of course, this also means that the modified connectors, well-suited for the simplified machine, may not be readily used in applications and settings (e.g., manual use) where the conventional tubing connectors with threaded engagement are typically used. Consequently, a healthcare provider may need to keep both types of medical tubing connection assemblies on hand, which increases the overall size of inventory required and the potential for incompatibilities between the connector and the associated equipment at the time of use through inventory confusion.
As set forth in more detail below, the present disclosure sets forth an improved assembly embodying advantageous alternatives to the conventional devices and approaches discussed above.